Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-03

Captain Robert Strong graduated iron
Harvard at the age of 24 He was brillian
and handsome and immensely popula
with his classm ltes. The was was il
progress and he enlisted almost immedi
ately after receiving his degree. Wishinl
to prove his patriotism. in the zeal of boy
ish enthusiasm, he accepted command o
one of the first negro regiments enlisted, l
being at that, time exceedingly difficult tC
find competent men willing to serve il
such a capacity.
The first year of service was compare
lively uneventful. In the beginning OF
the second he went home on leave of alb
sence and, while there, courted and mar
ried a young Southern girl who was stay
ing temporarily with an aunt in Mil
ford. After a short honeymoon he re.
turned to his command, Within few
weeks he was in an engagement. where
his men were moved down like grass,
those who surrendered being merciessly
butchered, and he and his two lieutenants
were captured. During the transfers to
AnderSonville they managed to escape,
and travelling by night and hiding dur
ing the day time, were almost within
sight of the Union Lines. Finally, made
bold by their success in eluding pursuit,
one morning, just as the sun rose over the
hill top, they halted at dilapidated
cabin and asked for breakfast The howell
was as dark aud breathless as a cavern
three gaunt men lounged near the door
The embers glowed through the ashes in
the blackened fireplace. The woman of
the house received them with scowling
countenances, and reluctantly spread be-
fore them the salt pork, corn pone and
coffee, for which Strong paid them liber-
ally out of the little stock of money which
he had managed to secure from his cap.
tors.
Their appetites were whetted by fatigue
and by their insufficient rations during
the three days that had elapsed since their
escape. They ate hungrly and did not
notice that the three men had skunk away,
one after the other, while the old crone
seated herself in corner and sat glover
ing at them, as forbidding as figure of
AtropoS.
Suddenly the air was rent with yells
There was a confused jingling of spurs
and the clatter of sabres drawn from their
sheaths. A band of guerillas, guided by
the men, had approached and surrounded
the house, and Strong and his two lieu-
tenants, when just at the end of their en-
forced march, were recaptured. Their
arms were piniOned, and they We're driven
like cattle for IL miles along the rocky
mountain road until they could 90 no
further and fell, fainting and exhausted
Then there was cry: 1.-The Yanks are
coming ~
The prisoners were dragged to their
feet to a cleared space in the forest, and
looking each other in the face, upbOrne
by unfaltering courage, each knew that
his hour was come There went forth
from StrOng's lips the brief petition, go
God, protect my wife - then he glanced
upward to where a strip of blue sky
shone above the hill tops, flooded with
the waning glory of the summer day.
clouded by no premOnitory shadow of
death. There was flash, a sharp report,
and the three men fell, writhing in their
blood Their murderers, regarded them
for moment, swarthv, savage, their
dark. unkempt locks streaming over their
hatred, rejoicing like devils in the deed
that they had done. Then they hurried
away with wild screams, rattle of stir
rups, the measured cadences of gallopng
boots dying in the distance. A little
cloud of smoke curled upward and van
ished. The pines waved and whispered in
the soft air. Long shafts of sunlight
parted boughs There were the mingled
odors of thousand fragrant blossoms,
and the cry of a bird sounded from fal
within the wood, its one melancholy note
repeated with mOurnful reiteraton. AnC
the men lay where they had fallen, dea
to all sounds. and blind to the wide
| beauty OF evening approaching in peac,
and quietnees. When the sun had Sc
and the dead of twilight had fallen al
old negro came out of the recesseS of tn,
forest, gazed fearfully about, and, afte
listening intently, approached cautiously
and sank upon his knees beside them
He lifted the nerveless hands raised tn,
l rlUi1 fapaC and fra1aH into "a rrIn
with the tears streaming down the wrin
killed. cheeks.
lie broke out with wild lamentations
his body swaying to and fro, uttering We
hement expressions of grief, after TIN
manner of his race, Finally, he becam
calmer, though his breast was still shaker
by heavy sobs, and bent over them re
garding each intently. Suddenly he dis
covered that one bore no marks of wound
except a slight scratch above the lief
temple. lie hastily unbuttoned the coat
placed his hand over the heart, which, T.
his great JOY, was still beating feebly
The bullet, which had grazed the man
forehead had stunned but had not kille,
MN. The Negroes grief gave way to fran
tic rejoicing.
Dress de Lawd, masso, Dress de Lawd,
he cried, "you's not dead yet"
Then he went away and speedily re
turned. bringing with him such simpl
restoratives as he had. lie worked vigoI
ously and, when the man had revived sui
ficiently supported him and led him ava
to his cabin, which was concealed from
view in the tangled shrubs and under
brush of an adjacent ravine. Late a
night he returned with battered shove
and proceeded to dig graves for the dead
having first washed the clotted bloo
from their faces and clothing, preparing
them for decent burial. AS he toiled IA
muttered prayers and excavations, paus
ing to weep afresh as he gazed at the me
tionless figures.
This task was not completed until tn